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What You'll Find Here

I'm primarily a storyteller and a builder, which expresses itself in several ways:

Sims 4 Builds: I've been creating a ton of builds for a new save file, plus taking photos of old ones. If I can figure out how to safely share (and give credit for) builds using CC on the Gallery, then those will be shared. Until then, it's pictures-only.

Sims 4 Sims: CAS is not my favorite places to be, but I do enjoy styling my Sims. Expect me to post a lot of lookbooks and makeovers. Again, if I can figure out how to safely and simply share CC-enhanced Sims with credit, I'll be doing that.

Worldbuilding: I love worldbuilding, and I've thought a lot about the larger world of TS4 and SimNation might look like. Expect a lot of posts about the regions, politics, and religions of SimNation.

Stories: The save file I'm currently working on will be the setting for a story-focused neighborhood. But I can't start on that until I get the save file ready.

I've also created some mods with Mod Constructor. I'd need to get a lot more confident in their functionality and my ability to fix problems before I tried to share them. But you never know! I learned how to use Canva last week to make that title card. Maybe next month, I'll figure out how to hand-code and hand-update the mods I've made.

The Treaders of the Occult, of course, are a diverse group of believers with a presence in many lands, so it stands to reason that their temples are just as diverse. Temples by and large follow (and in turn influence) local building styles and are constructed of local materials. Prominent examples include the Mountain Temple in Mt. Komorebi and Tinsu Temple in Tomarang. Shrines are even more diverse than temples, since they often start out as natural landmarks. Prominent examples include the Cave Shrine in Mt. Komorebi and the Historic Shrine on Yukimatsu.

In addition to sheer diversity of architectural form and ornamentation, temples also vary wildly in their purpose and features. Yes, a temple’s primary purpose is to play host to the worship of its patron Watcher-being - but most temples do much more than that. They can serve as cemeteries, hospitals, orphanages, wedding venues, homes for wandering ghosts, residences for priests, and more. In game terms, temples will often be classed as cemeteries, wedding venues, or custom venues.

Still, ancillary purposes aside, a temple’s main purpose is to worship its patron Watcher-being. Virtually all temples will include an altar dedicated to that Watcher-being in a central location as well as smaller worship spaces. The temple will also include areas for meditation and contemplation, allowing Sims to come in closer contact with the Watcher-being on their own terms. Most temples are dedicated to only one Watcher-being, though some may have altars for multiple closely related Watcher-beings.

In the old days, temples used to be entirely funded by their priesthoods - and a priesthood’s economic savvy would make all the difference for the temples they founded and ran. These days, temples are classed as independent not-for-profit organizations. They often make use of a wide variety of funding streams. Donations are of course a vital part of this. Many temples will also charge straightforward fees for certain rituals like weddings/marriage blessings and funerals. (Often, but not always, these fees will be waived or reduced for Sims undergoing genuine financial hardship.) Some priests also practice traditional handicrafts and prepare goods for sale that will help to fund the temples.

Priests are the ones primarily responsible for maintaining temples in a physical as well as financial sense. In the old days, priests would take great pride in handling all cleaning and maintenance tasks themselves, reasoning that one could serve a Watcher-being by sweeping the courtyard as they could by praying at the altar. These days, most daily tasks are handled by priests (and occasionally by worshipers). But buildings have become more complicated over the years, and risk tolerance has shrunk. Most priesthoods won’t hesitate to hire contractors for specialized or potentially dangerous tasks. After all, while one can certainly serve a Watcher-being by fixing the roof on their temple, one can’t serve them by falling off that roof.

Everyday and Formal looks.

Iris has always been something a flower child. Mystical, Loyal, and a Bookworm, she loved reading stories about magical Fairies living just outside the stultifying borders of the Coast of Adhmor. And though her parents signed her up for code camps and robotics classes, she was always far more drawn to nature than technology.

Athletic and PJs.

That shouldn't have been a problem. Her parents always said they wanted her to be happy. Well, Iris wants to be happy as a Fairy. She has the Fairy Influence bonus trait and the Fairy Stories aspiration and everything. What's so wrong about that?

Party and Swim.

It can't be that she's living with Nadya, can it? If it is, her parents - especially her par, Ayo - can shove it. She knows that Ayo used to date Elric DeMuray before they settled down with her mom. Ayo can't fault her for dating (maybe??? if Nadya is even into it??) a Fairy of the same biological sex when they did the same thing!

Hot Weather and Cold Weather.

And if it's not that ... then Iris has no idea what it is. All she knows is that her mom looks so sad and guilty (???) when they talk. And her par is impossible to read.

Whatever it is, she wishes they'd just tell her. Then they could move past it. Or not. Because no matter what her parents say, Iris has already made her decision.

She will become a Fairy. And she'll do it by Nadya's side.

Or at least, that’s how the legends go. None of these temples survive to the present day. They’ve all been destroyed by the Watcherian faiths, or else - worse! - taken over by the Watcherian faiths and converted to their worship.

So the Cult of the Cowplant has pivoted. Since the beginning of Watcherian persecution, they moved their worship from the sprawling temples to smaller, more intimate shrines. Today, the persecution is over (at least the overt, violent type), but the shrines remain.

Cult of the Cowplant shrines are intentionally (relatively) small and close to nature. This is not the place for grand architecture and soaring ambition. While no two shrines are exactly alike, there is a heavy emphasis on using sustainable, local materials in as natural a style as possible. Cultists try to leave as much of the surroundings of shrines intact as possible, preferring natural wildness to any attempt at formal landscaping. Moreover, they prefer to build their shrines in the ruined, half-wild spaces of the world. This is a powerful symbolism - and realistically, purchasing the land is a lot cheaper this way.

Most shrines are dedicated to a single divine, though some divines with a familial or marital relationship may claim spaces in each other’s shrines (so Sylvia and the Grim Reaper or Sylvia with either of her parents. Nobody is crazy enough to put Spruce and Mother Nature in the same shrine). But the shrine will always be decorated according to the aesthetic and function of the primary divine. 

In addition to an altar for worship, shrines will also contain practical, useful spaces. Many shrines will include gardening space, a classroom for lessons in useful arts, and a small studio for yoga and meditation. And of course, every shrine has a cowplant. Whether the cowplant is inside or outside depends on the exact layout of the space and the amount of land the shrine has to work with.

The Cult’s penchant for reclaiming half-abandoned space (read: cheap real estate) has led them to make some interesting choices. They’ve taken the ruins from the bluffs on Windenburg’s Crumbling Isle and turned it into a shrine to Mother Nature. They also have their eye on the derelict Sprucewood Square in Evergreen Harbor. (It has Spruce in the name! It’s a sign!) Because the Cult wants their shrines to still be useful to the communities they call home, they can take the form of a number of lot types. Parks, national parks, recreation centers, community gardens, and special lot types are all viable options.

If the Cult had their way, they would simply move into abandoned spaces and turn them into worship spaces, building and maintaining them as a community effort, no money required. Legalities being what they are, shrines do have to be funded. Most shrines are set up as independent not-for-profits. Volunteers provide most of the day-to-day maintenance and cleaning. Exceptionally well-funded shrines may have full-time paid staff to take care of this sort of thing. Pretty much all shrines have to hire paid contractors for specialty work. As much as some of them would like to embrace a DIY spirit and save money by having believers do all the work, the truth is that none of them could afford the insurance hike if someone were to get electrocuted or fall off the roof doing work they were in no way qualified for. 

Performing work around the shrine is a way some Cultists attempt to “right the scales” when they have done wrong - but virtually no druid would suggest this. They’re far too cognizant of how Watcherian religions abused this sort of power. The most they’ll do is tell a believer who shows up offering to help what needs doing most.

Ayo and Flora got her shortly after Iris moved out. Apparently the house felt far too big and empty, so they got some company at the local shelter.

Miss Bhean is a very Loyal pup, a bit Jumpy, and quite the Sleuth. She loves her Sims and being part of her new family. She just wishes she understood why people keep sniggering when they hear her name. What's so funny about Bhean?

Learning Centers are freestanding buildings, often designed and built by Non-Believers and designed to further the purposes of education and usefulness in a given community. Architecturally, there is no such thing as a “typical” Learning Center. Depending on where and when the Learning Center was built, it might be a Googie fantasy like the Curious Planetarium in Oasis Springs or a bastion of neo-Gothic style like the Laurel Library in Britechester. The most important thing about a Learning Center is that it exists and serves its community.

Because Learning Centers are often custom-built for the communities they serve, there is no typical layout or set collection of rooms. Learning Centers can be designed as museums, libraries, maker spaces, and completely custom venues. There are some spaces that are more-common-than-not among Learning Centers - lecture halls, reading rooms, children’s learning areas - but about the only space you’re guaranteed to find is a bathroom.

Learning Centers function as fully independent nonprofit entities; while they are all part of the greater Congregation of Non-Believers umbrella organization, they set their own programming and control their own budgets and funding. (Each Learning Center does pay dues to the Congregation of Non-Believers, which in turn may give out grants to Learning Centers for special projects.) Almost all Learning Centers have a “Sunday Lecture Series” that’s specifically designed to replicate the sense of belonging and camaraderie that come from Jacoban and Peteran worship services while running at roughly the same time of day. Learning Centers are also the hub of Non-Believer charitable endeavors, and most offer educational programming throughout the week.

While Learning Centers have varied styles and programming, their funding streams are remarkably uniform. All of them offer memberships to community members, and most of them will have suggested or required donations to gain entry into any programming they care to put on. Members get access to all programs for free or much-reduced fees. Most Learning Centers have several tiers of membership, including student, single, couple, family, senior, and lifetime members. Anyone is free to purchase a membership, including Sims of other faiths, but in practice, most of the people willing to pony up for a membership (as opposed to paying their way into programs that interest them) are either Non-Believers or Sims seriously considering becoming one. In addition to memberships, Learning Centers may also get funding from capital campaigns and grants.

Because Learning Centers never pretended to be anything other than straightforward not-for-profits, deciding who handles physical maintenance and day-to-day running of the Center is easy. Most programs are run by a mix of paid staff and volunteers. When it comes to the physical upkeep, most Learning Centers will either hire a janitor/custodian themselves or contract with an outside cleaning company. They’ll also hire contractors for anything that requires specific professional expertise (plumbing, roofing, HVAC, etc.). No Learning Center would be able to run without volunteers, but at the same time, most Non-Believers would find the idea that they should volunteer with the Learning Center to right the inevitable wrongs they commit in life downright ludicrous if not a heinous conflict of interest.

Everyday and Formal looks.

But Ayo, unfortunately, is all too aware that a hand-dug swimming pool would not make Flora happy - and not only because she's too practical for that kind of nonsense.

No, in order for Flora to be happy with a swimming pool, hand-dug or not, she'd have to be happy with her scales. And that's something she's never been.

Athletic and PJs.

Ayo has always accepted this about her. (It's not their business to tell Flora what parts of herself she can and can't be happy with.) And they've tried to help, in their way. As a Neat, Self-Assured Geek, they assumed that if they arranged their mutual lives around their mutual loves - technology, robotics, computers, their wonderful daughter Iris - Flora would naturally grow more comfortable and satisfied with life.

And it worked, for a number of years. The whole family enjoyed the verdant backdrop of Innisgreen while Ayo and Flora climbed their respective career ladders - Start-Up Entrepreneur for Ayo; Computer Engineer for Flora. They were both Quick Learners, and Ayo wanted to be a Computer Whiz, so their careers and their lives were a natural fit.

Party and Swim.

Then Iris grew up.

At first, Ayo thought her Mystical leanings and Fairy dreamings were nothing more than typical teenage moodiness. They thought she would grow out of them once she reached adulthood.

She didn't.

Instead she moved out - to Everdew - and is now living with a Fairy woman and wants to become a Fairy herself.

Hot Weather and Cold Weather.

Ayo can find a way to live with that. They can't even fault her for dating (?) a Fairy, given their own romantic history.

But what they're not sure they can live with is Iris's distance.

And they're even less sure how to bridge the chasm that's opening up between them and their daughter.

Chapels are found in abbeys (as well as monasteries and nunneries), which are closed communities for groups of siblings. Most chapels and abbeys are hundreds of years old - the monastic way of life has been on the decline for centuries, so very few new abbeys (and thus chapels) are being formed. An abbey’s chapel may be attached to another building or free-standing. Chapels and their worship services may or may not be open to the public. In addition to being found in abbeys, chapels may also be found in certain private homes - namely country estates and castles of nobility and royalty.

Missions are spaces where lay and clergy alike come to worship. They are built in local communities, by local communities, and thus come in all shapes and sizes.

Owing to the Peteran Church’s global reach and extensive history, chapels and missions come in a wide range of architectural styles. In fact, though missions inspired an architectural style that’s common in Gran Belomisia and the Simhara Desert, that style is hardly universal among missions. St. Simbert’s Church in Henford-on-Bagley is a great example of a Peteran chapel (now mission) in the Old Simglish style.

But regardless of the specific architectural details, Peteran missions and chapels are typically not overly decorated. Peterans prefer to spend their money on helping others rather than on adorning their places of worship in luxury. That being said, Peterans do believe in making their worship spaces pleasant to look at - after all, if the Watcher didn’t like beauty, They surely wouldn’t have added so much of it to the universe. Their spaces just tend not to be ostentatious and to make as much use as possible of simple, natural materials from the local area.

In terms of layout, chapels and missions will typically have a main worship space on the ground floor. Depending on local conditions, there might be an upstairs “study loft” that allows Sims to read or research religious works while still listening to the service. There may also be ancillary spaces like a kitchen, greenhouse or community garden, “mission hall” for communal gatherings, offices for the clergy and Elder Council, daycare rooms, underground crypts, and of course, bathrooms. In game terms, these buildings will usually be classed as cemeteries but can easily be turned into wedding venues should the need arise.

Missions are funded by the tithes of the members; chapels are funded by the abbeys they are part of. (This is another reason why chapels - and abbeys - are struggling: if they don’t serve lay folk directly, they can’t beg them for tithes, so they’re forced to raise funds via university tuition, selling crafts or produce from their lands, or donation drives.) Cleaning and maintenance work may be handled by the clergy, lay volunteers, or paid professionals. For the most part, chapels and missions will try to handle day-to-day cleaning and simple maintenance through either the work of the clergy or lay volunteers, but deep cleaning and complicated maintenance will be handled by trained and fairly paid professionals. It is viewed as an abuse of power for clergy to suggest that layfolk donate labor to their mission or chapel as part of a lesson, though layfolk who have professional skills the mission or chapel could use are welcome to volunteer their time and expertise in lieu of or in addition to tithes.

Everyday and Formal looks.

She's tried to distance herself from the wild. Yes, she's Cheerful and Family-Oriented - but also quite Materialistic. She's a Quick Learner, always has been, and her most potent desire is to be a Nerd Brain.

Frolicking half-dressed in the waves has never been one of her aspirations.

Athletic and PJs.

At least her spouse, Ayo, always understood that. They accepted Flora's quirks, but they never questioned her desire to distance herself from those quirks. Without Ayo's support and love, Flora never would have had the courage to become the Computer Engineer she always wanted to be.

Party and Swim.

But Flora should have known it wouldn't be that easy. While Flora herself seems to have evaded nature's call ... her daughter Iris didn't. And now she's run off to Everdew to live with a Fairy (!!) and possibly become one herself (!!).

Flora can live with that. Truly. She just wants her daughter to be happy.

What she's not sure she can live with is the distance that's sprung up between them.

Hot Weather and Cold Weather.

What's worse is that Flora is pretty sure that distance is all her fault. Because while Flora would move heaven and earth for her little girl - the one thing she could never bring herself to do was tell the truth.

And if she comes out with it now ...

Mermaid looks.